Electrically operated display fountain



March 7, 1961 2,973,904

F. N. ZIMMERMANN ET AL ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DISPLAY FOUNTAIN Filed May 6, 1960 ATTORNEY United States Patent O 2,973,904 ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DISPLAY FOUNTAIN FrederickvN. Zimmermann and Willy E. Zimmermann, Bannockburn, Ill., assignors to March Manufacturing Co., Skokie, lll., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 6, 1960, Ser. No. 27,344

9 Claims. (Cl. 239-23) The present invention pertains to new and useful improvements in electrically-operated display fountains of the type commonly used for decorative purposes in private dwellings, hospitals, hotels, theatres, etc., and which consist of a basin for water, or other liquids, and` a nozzle assembled adjacent the uppermost portions -of the fountain housing, the nozzle connected by means of a flexible tube with a pump assembled centrally of said basin and within said fountain housing, the water being continuously propelled or pumped from the basin through said nozzle upwardly and outwardly over the basin and then falls by action of gravity back into the basin.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a 'display fountain of artistic and pleasing design in which an electrically operated pump forces the water in the basin through a nozzle in the upper portion of the fountain housing, thereby forming a spray, the Water being thus continuously circulated through the pump, there being no waste, n'o possibility of leakage, and the water may be perfumed or tinted, or both, as desired.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a display fountain with an electrically operated pump which is portable and can be readily moved at pleasure. Another object of this invention is to so locate and 'connect the pump and electric motor embodied in this invention that no iixed or accurate alignment by means of a union, toggle-joint or coupling is necessary to adjust the position of the electric motor and pump and their shafts; also, so that the motor may be separated from the pump, o-r the pump may be separated from the motor, at any time for purpose of repairs, adjustment or oiling; and so that on replacing the motor, or pump, the pump and motor will at once be located in correct alignment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable electrically-operated display fountain of the character'described embodying novel features of construction; to provide a fountain comprising a truncated conicalshaped hollow supporting member, a liquid basin arranged therewith and above the same, a pump with a vertical pump element mounted within the liquid basin, the pump element driven from an electric motor arranged below the pump and within the hollow truncated member within a dry atmosphere, a propeller mounted to revolve on a vertical axis within said pump being driven by a vertical shaft extending through the bottom of said basin and rotatably mounted and assembled with the motor, said propeller to force the liquid out through a tube and hose connected with a nozzle arranged at the top of the display pump housing centrally arranged in said basin and extending above said pump.

And still another object of this inventionv is to provide 'a portable display fountain of novel construction, to

provide a basin having a desired quantity of Water repump arranged centrally of said housing and said basin, the water then pumped continuously out through the nozzle at the top of the fountain housing where the spray of water again falls back into the basin containing flowers, of the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide means to remove the motor mounting plate and motor assemf A still further object of this invention is to provide aA simple and efficient combination of an electric motor and motor pump for fountains which may be cheaply constructed and silent in action, and capable of operating for lengthy periods without requiring any attention, with means for obtaining access to the pump without disturbing the electric motor, and a dry chamber for the motor with access theretowhen necessary.

The above and other objects and novel features of this invention will become apparent from the following specication and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective of a display fountain embodying my invention, showing the same supported upon a flat surface;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view through the display fountain as shown by Fig. l;

Figure 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the electric motor and water-pump with portions thereof brokenl away and shown in section; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged, vertical sectional view of the electric motor mounting plate and the pump `mounting plate assembled to the horizontal, central bottom portion of the basin embodied in this invention'.

In the embodiment of my invention shown on the drawings, the display fountain device 10 is shown. as formed of a basin, a liquid reservoir 12, formed of sheet metal, o-r the like, the said basin 12 being provided 'with a fountain housing 14 having a vertical cylindrical lower wall portion 15 integrally secured with the central portion of said basin. Said housing 14 having a truncated, a

conical shaped upper wall portion 16 and a at, horizontal, circular top wall 17, the top wall 17 having integrally secured thereto a dished shaped member 13 open at the top, having a at circular bottom 18 and an upwardly anged side wall 19. The said circular top wall 17 and circular bottom 18 secured together and having a central vertical bore 21 extending vertically therethrough. A T-shaped nozzle 22 with a circular top portion 23 and a vertical tubular portion 24 is assembled with said housing 14, the top portion 23 arranged upon said bottom 18 and extending portion 24 extending downwardly through said bore 21 and to a distance below said top wall 17. The nozzle 22 is provided with a plurality of bores in the upper surface thereof to provide a spray when water is forced therethrough. The basin 12 is formed with a substantially flat, horizontal wall portion 25 and a curved, lipiwardly extending side wall 26 with aperipheral circular top edge portion 27. When water is placed within the basin 12, the water will rise to the water-line level 28, designated W-L; Ithe level governed by the port opening zo in the lower wan portion is of housing 14, said'porr v'2,973,904` Patented Mar. 7,1961` thereabove; the tubular mounting plate- 41, by'means of a pairof verticalY arms 42, the upper ends of said arms integrally secured to said mounting plate 41, while the lower ends of said arms are integrally secured to the motor frame 43. The motor mounting plate 41, the side arms 42 and motor frame forming a rigid unit to be assembled to the lower side of said wall portion 25 of the basin 12. The armature 45 of said motor 4G is supported upon common, suitable thrust bearing means, within the usual field coils. A vertical drive shaft 46 extends upwardly through a bearing enclosed in bearing housing 47 embodying outwardly extending horizontal braces 48 having the outer ends thereof integrally secured to the vertical arms 42, intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof. The side wall 34 of said motor housing 35 is provided with an opening 49. A source of electrical energy is supplied to the motor 40 by cable 50 extending through said opening 49. The motor mounting plate 4l; is provided with a central bore 55, its purpose to be described later. It will be noted that the motor 4% and supporting frame 43 is entirely suspended adjacent to the bottom of the wall portion 25 of basin 12 and does not contact the basin 12 or housing 35 at any other point.

The pump employed in this fountain is of the centrifugal type and preferably is provided with a plurality of horizontal blades 60. The pump further embodies a central tubular shaft 61 with a circular end plate 62, said plate 62 having a central aperture 63 with an enlarged bore 64 on the lower side thereof. Said bore 64 is adapted to receive the upper end of the vertical drive Shaft 46 which is connected at its lower end with the armature of said motor 40. The plate 62 is rigidly secured to the top end of said shaft 46 and locked thereon by lock screw 65. The hollow shaft 61 is of sufficient length to permit the horizontal blades 60, commonly referred to as the impeller blades, which are secured to the lower end thereof, to rotate close to the top side of the pump mounting plate 66 forming the supporting base of the pump body 67 which is further provided with cylindrical side wall 68 and top wall 69. The said plate 66, the side wall 68 and top wall 69 are secured together by screws 85 forming an impeller chamber 86 enclosing the rotating impeller blades 69. The top wall 69 is provided with a vertical circular bore 76, said bore 70 is of suicient diameter to permit said tubular shaft 61 to extend therethrough and leaving an annular opening 72 between said shaft 61 and the vertical wall of said bore 70, said opening 72 forming the water entrance channel as the water accumulates about and above said pump body 67. The side wall 68 of said body 67 is provided with a transverse horizontal bore 73 into which is inserted one end 75 of a discharge tube 7 4, the opposite end 76 of said tube 74 extending upwardly; said end '76 having one end 77 of a rubber, or flexible tube 78 applied thereto, the opposite end of said tube 7S extending over the lower end of tubular portion 24 of nozzle 22. The water from the pump passes through said discharge tube 74 and then upwardly into the hose, or tube 7S, and into the nozzle 22, where it escapes in the form of a spray, as will be readily understood. A strainer or lter can be added at the entrance of the bore 7G to prevent foreign matter passing into the impeller chamber of the pump body 67, this to prevent the openings in the nozzle from becoming choked. l

In Figure 4 and 5 an arrangement of the parts is clearly shown. A stationary tube 80, threaded at its lower end 81, is assembled vertically within a threaded bore 87, centrally located within said pump mounting plate 66. A circular gasket 88 with a central opening is tightly threaded upon the threaded end 81 of tube 80 and adjacent the bottom side of the pump mounting plate 66, clearly shown by Figure 5. The lower end 81 of said tube 80. is only threaded a desired distance, the threads adjacent the smooth wall of tube 8G forming a stop means against which the said pump mounting plate 66 is forced into engagement. The opposite end 4 portion of end 81 formsv a free threaded end portion which is inserted through a Abore centrally located in said wall portion 25 of said basin 12. The stationary tube 8G is of sufficient diameter to allow said drive shaft 46 to extend freely therethrough the entire length Lthereof when assembled above said motor 40. In assembly, the pump body 67 is arranged upon the tube 80 by screwing the pump mountingplate upon the threaded end 81 of tube Si). The gasket 83 is then assembled upon the threaded end 81 of tube 8), after which the tube 80 1s arranged vertically withits threaded end extending downwardly through opening 90 of said basin 12. The electric motor frame is then moved into position adjacent the lower side of said basin 12 with the opening 55 in its mounting plate 41 surrounding said threaded end 81 of tube 80. A locking nut is then placed upon the threaded end 81 of tube 80, thereby forming the sole locking means for tightly securing said pump mounting plate 66 and said motor mounting plate 41 upon opposite sides of the wall 25 of basin 12. The gasket 88 inserted between the pump mounting plate 66 and wall portion 25 of basin i2 prevents any water from escaping through opening 90 in the basin 12, and also spaces the pump above the bottom of the basin. As soon as the pump and motor are assembled together in combination with the basin, then the lock screw 65 is inserted through opening 63 and into the threaded aperture in the top of shaft 46, said screw 65 locking the end plate 62 rigidly with said shaft 46, thereby making a solid direct driving assembly of parts from the motor 40 to the impeller blades 60 through the intermediation of said tubular shaft 6l,

By suspending the motor as described we largely overcome the usual noise or hum made by the rotating armature. It will be noted that by the peculiar construction of the motor and arrangement thereof in a dry atmosphere since it is enclosed below the basin, no special care will be required in usual use thereof. It will further be noted that the novel assembly of the pump and motor with the fountain basin, no special care will be required in assembling the parts or in aligning the armature shaft with the tubular pump shaft, the armature shaft, with drive shaft, andthe tubular pump shaft being practically one solid piece.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we provide a very simple electric motor and liquid pump for operating the fountain, the novel arrangement of the parts producing a new result and inventive concept over the known prior art.

It will be apparent that an endless number and variety of designs of the fountain housing, basin and nozzle can be made; and that different types of rotary pumps may be employed without departing from the scope of our invention. It is also clear that the fountain may be placedV on an ornamental bracket or on a stand in reception rooms and the like.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

Having thus described this invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An electrically operated water fountain comprising, in combination, a basin, a fountain housing within said basin, an electric motor having a mounting plate assembled therewith, a rotary pump within said fountain housing within said basin, said pump embodying a pump housing, said pump housing having a water inlet opening and a water discharge opening, a vertical stationary tube hav` ing a smooth exterior portion and a threaded exterior lower end portion, said threaded lower end portion of said tube arranged to be detachably connected with and extending through a threadless bore in the bottom central portion of said basin, the upper end of said tubetextending above the normal water level in said basin, said mounting plate of said motor having a boretherethrough :enraged and arranged adjacent the lower end of said tube, means threadedly secured upon the threaded end portion of said tube clamping said mounting plate adjacent the bottom surface of said basin, said fountain housing having a port opening at the normal water level of the water contained in said basin, a vertical motor drive shaft connected at its lower end with the armature of said motor, said rotary pump embodying a plurality of rotary impeller blades secured to the bottom end of an impeller tube, said impeller tube extending over and around said stationary tube, means connecting said impeller tube to said motor drive shaft, a single nozzle mounted in the central upper portion of said fountain housing, and a tubular means for delivering water from said pump to said nozzle.

2. The water fountain according to claim 1 wherein said fountain housing embodying said port opening at the normal water level of the water contained in said basin whereby the water will flow through its port opening into the interior of said fountain housing and through said water inlet opening in said pump to be forced upwardly by said impellers to said nozzle, said water passing through a plurality of openings in said nozzle and falling into said basin.

3. An electrically operated water fountain comprising, in combination, a basin adapted to hold water, a fountain housing within said basin, an electric motor having a mounting plate assembled therewith, a rotary pump within said fountain housing within said basin, a vertically arranged stationary tube having a smooth exterior portion and a threaded exterior lower end portion, said threaded lower end portion of said tube arranged to be detachably connected with and extending through a threadless bore in the bottom central portion of said basin, the upper end of said tube extending above the normal water level in said basin, said rotary pump embodying a pump housing, said fountain housing having a port opening at the normal water level of the water contained in said basin, said port communicating said basin with the interior of said fountain housing whereby Water in said basin .above the normal water level thereof will ow therethrough, said pump housing having a water inlet opening and a water discharge opening, said mounting plate of said motor having a bore therethrough and arranged adjacent the lower end of said tube, means threadedly secured upon the threaded end portion of said tube clamping said mounting plate adjacent the bottom surface of said basin, a vertical motor drive shaft connected at its lower end with the armature of said motor, said rotary pump embodying a plurality of rotary impeller blades secured to the bottom end of an impeller tube, said impeller tube extending over and around said stationary tube, means connecting said impeller tube to said motor drive shaft, a nozzle mounted in the central upper portion of said fountain housing, and a tubular means connected with said water pump housing discharge opening for delivering water from said pump housing to said nozzle,

and the water passing through a plurality of openings in said nozzle and thereafter falling into said basin.

4. The water fountain according to claim 3 wherein said nozzle is of T-shape in transverse vertical section, the head of the hollow nozzle arranged upon the exterior of said fountain housing, the depending leg portion of said hollow nozzle extending inside said fountain housing, and said tubular means connected at one end with the discharge opening of said pump being connected at its opposite end with said depending leg portion of said hollow nozzle.

5. The water fountain according to claim 3 wherein a gasket member is arranged between said pump mounting plate and said basin, said gasket having a circular central opening therein of substantially the same diameter as the mounting plate is sealed with said basin preventing leakage of water from said basin.

6r. The water fountain according to claim 5 wherein said means threadedly secured upon the threaded' end portion of said tube consists of a locking nut with vertical bore having female threads, and further having means for connecting said motor to a source of electrical supply.

7. An electrically operated display fountain comprising, in combination, a basin, said basin having a threadless bore therein, a fountain housing in said basin and integrally secured to the top surface thereof, said fountain housing having a port opening at the normal water level of the water contained in said basin, a fountain support embodying a hollow motor chamber with a side wall, the top flanges of said walls integrally secured to the bottom surface of said basin, a central, vertical, stationary tube adapted to be connected at its lower end to said basin, the lower end of said tube being threaded, a motor mounted vertically within a motor frame embodying a top mounting plate with a threadless central bore therein,

a rotary pump enclosed within a cylindrical pump housing with a horizontal common base and mounting plate, said cylindrical pump housing having a water inlet opening and a water discharge opening, a threaded bore centrally arranged in said pump mounting plate, a circular gasket embodying a central bore of the same diameter as the diameter of said threaded end of said tube assembled upon the lower end of said tube, said pump mounting plate threaded upon said lower threaded end of said tube, said lower threaded end of said tube inserted through the threadless bore in said basin, the threadless bore in said motor mounting plate and secured thereto by a locking nut applied to the free threaded end thereof and clamped into engagement with said motor mounting plate, a vertical motor drive shaft connected at its lower end with the armature of said motor, said rotary pump embodying a plurality of rotary pump embodying a plurality of rotary impeller blades secured to the bottom end of an impeller tube extending outside and over said stationary tube, said impeller tube connected to the top end of said motor driveshaft by a locking means, a nozzle mounted upon said fountain housing, a tubular means for delivering water from said cylindrical pump housing to said nozzle.

8. The electrically operated display fountain according to claim 7 wherein said cylindrical pump housing has said water inlet in its circular top-wall portion, and said water discharge outlet in the side wall thereof and a metal tube extending outwardly and upwardly from said pump housing, said tubular means for delivering water connected to the upper end of said metal tube.

9. The display fountain according to claim 8 wherein the -top wallof said pump housing has a central threadless bore extending vertically therethrough, the diameter of said bore in said top wall being greater than the diameter of said impeller tube, the annular opening between said impeller tube and the wall of said bore in said top wall forming the said water inlet to said pump housing.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,549,204 Merigold Aug. l1, 1925 

